The Runic Artist

Nate sat in the dirt in the small underground cave. Jorge lounged nearby and though Kiri’s Father gave the appearance of relaxation, he was anything but. Not that Nate could blame him. It had been just over a week since he had first brought Jorge here. That first Restday had been spent sitting around the Dungeon entrance waiting for Kiri to return, just as they were now. Nate could feel that the Dungeon was still locked, which to him, meant Kiri was still alive in there. But Jorge had only Nate’s word to go off of and he imagined he was already on pretty thin ice for supporting Kiri in this scheme of hers.

Unlike the last Restday which had mostly been wasted, this time Nate had brought a few pieces of wood so he could continue to refine his Mana Gathering Array design. The time between the two Restdays had been spent with Luc, the training regime only increasing in difficulty. At least he had a few Skill levels to show for it. Glancing at his progress was an easy momentary distraction.

Spatial Awareness 21 > 23

Imbue Intent 23 > 24

Eyes of the Runic Artist 16 > 19

From Me, To You 6 > 10

No Steps Necessary 4 > 10

Runic Creation 14 > 16

Luc had started breaking up their training with different methods of attack. He continued to use the small metal balls for training Nate’s Spatial Awareness and Imbue Intent. After that Luc had introduced larger attacks that were too expensive in terms of mana to block, forcing Nate to start teleporting using No Steps Necessary. Finally Luc had required that Nate counterattack any time he teleported which he’d interpreted as fling attacks back at Luc. He’d used the runes in his robe to do so but flicked them through spatial tunnels using From Me, To You.

The whole time he’d kept using his Eyes of the Runic Artist to track it all. He thought he was starting to see something in the mana when he used his spatial skills, but he couldn’t be certain. Only on the previous Restday and this Restday did he get a chance to work on his runes and level Runic Creation. For the rest of the week he’d been too tired after Luc’s training, collapsing into bed shortly after dinner and a bath every night. Worked to the bone, as it were.

Glancing up from the rune he was working on, he watched Jorge a moment. Eyes of the Runic Artist was active to assist him with his runework and even with the enhanced sight, Jorge looked like a statue. He didn’t understand how the man could sit so still. How he could be so patient. Jorge had come to this cave every single day since returning from having his foot regenerated. Nate knew that because every morning and evening as he came to check on the Dungeon, Jorge had already been there waiting.

He was starting to wonder if the man was camping out here. He wouldn’t have put it past the Royal Ranger. It warmed his heart a little to see it. The man loved his daughter. It made Nate wonder how he would handle finding out that they were headed for the Guild Tournament in Etrua’s Capital in a couple of months, assuming Rania hadn’t already told him. Would he want to follow them? It seemed doubtful. Rania certainly wouldn’t be having any of that. Still, it was unlikely to be a pleasant conversation.

His eyes detected the change before Jorge or Frick felt the changes. The anchor, as he had come to call the knot in space that signified the closed off Dungeon, began to unravel with the mana holding it in place slowly being consumed. As he stood, he caught Jorge’s abrupt movement as the man moved from sitting to standing almost faster than Nate’s eyes could follow. He’d done the maths and there was something weird about that. The old man shouldn’t be that fast based on levels alone. One more question to throw on the pile of questions he had for Aisling.

Jorge glanced at him a few times as they waited. Obviously he couldn’t see mana unwinding but that wasn’t what Nate was focusing on. The moment the process had begun, he’d activated Spatial Awareness. This was space unlocking itself and he could glean more about the nature of his skills and his affinity by witnessing the Dungeon unsealing itself. Between his two perception skills he could finally tell what was happening.

The spatial anchors were combining. The pace was slow so he could feel them being slowly drawn to each other. Was that how you made a spatial pocket? Or whatever they called it? You took a piece of space and duplicated it somehow, then forced them apart? It sounded like some crazy quantum physics to him and he’d be the first to admit he didn’t understand the little quantum mechanics he’d read about.

His thoughts were interrupted as Kiri appeared before them, the spatial anchors vanishing a moment later as he saw them combine back into a single piece of untarnished space. No sign remained of the damage to space and the pocket it had contained. Speaking of damage, the same couldn’t be said for Kiri, or more specifically, Kiri’s clothes.

Kiri herself looked fine. Better than fine actually. She looked pristine. He couldn’t see a single injury or wound on her. Her leather armour on the other hand was torn to shit, covered in dirt and caked in what he was pretty sure was blood. The relief he felt was clearly mirrored by her Father who rushed to enfold her in his large embrace. Nate chose to ignore the sob he heard from the man. After all, he felt the same. It was good to have his best friend back, safe and sound. He smiled at her and she grinned back as she hugged her Father.

He wasn’t going to ask in front of Jorge so he focused his Eyes of the Runic Artist on her and her Class Core.

Kiri Beaufoy

Reborn Soulshade (L) (17)

She’d done it! He felt Frick activate his skill and the mental cheer that the little Spirit sent Nate was enough to have him grinning from ear to ear. The Class name might even explain the oddity he could see in Kiri. She had more soul energy flowing inside of her than anyone he’d ever seen. It was hard to judge but he thought she might have almost twice as much of the white, wispy energy contained within her body. Just what was a Reborn Soulshade? Before he could delve further into that question Jorge spoke and he felt his stomach do a flip.

“Reborn Soulshade? Just what in the Nine Hells did you two do?!” Jorge hissed at them.

What followed was Kiri and Nate trying to explain in detail everything that had happened, from Kiri almost dying, to the Soul Dissolution spell, to Nate saving her and the price that had been incurred on both of them. For Kiri, a new Class Core and for Nate, a punishment sent by the System. Kiri had thankfully taken over there and basically claimed full responsibility for the Dungeon fiasco, including her plan to conquer it alone. A comment which left her Father both flabbergasted and clearly full of pride. While she explained what had happened inside, she passed Nate back his spatial storage ring. He checked it as she spoke and found she hadn’t even removed her bow and arrow. Ah well, he could return that later.

“So I defeated the Orc but he’d broken both my legs and I didn’t have the energy to fully heal them,” said Kiri as she narrated her trials and tribulations with enthusiasm. “Ended up holed up in a drain coming off their little dirt arena. Turned out it did rain in that arena and when it did, the place was bloody flooded. Happened twice over the next nine days while I huddled in the corner, eating jerky and wishing my legs would heal faster. Once they had healed enough to walk I went looking for the other goblin riders. Eventually I found them and did the little bastards in the same way I did the first lot, only this time, way better!”

The last was said with a smirk from Kiri directed at Frick who, rather than seeming offended, pumped his fist and whispered, “So goblin!”

“So anyway,” Kiri continued, “I managed to take out the two remaining Challenges. Got myself an Affinity Improvement that went onto my Soul Affinity and I chose Power for the last one which ended up netting me an Orb that gave me nine to my Channelling Speed. But, I saved the best for last. I told you I beat the Bonus Challenge. The reward was a Class Core Enhancement!”

Nate beamed as she squealed the last bit. He couldn’t have been happier. Jorge however looked concerned.

“How are you two going to hide your Classes when you get to the Capital? Out here that enchanted amulet is enough because no one has an Epic or higher identification skill,” Jorge explained. He was interrupted as Nate faked a loud cough. “Okay, no one except Nate has an Epic or higher identification skill. That won’t be the case in the Capital. The Guild Prefects will either have such themselves, or their assistants and aides will. You think the Royal University doesn’t have Proctors with an Epic tier Skill? Probably some of the Professors too. And maybe even some of your classmates.

“This is the best of the best from the Kingdom we’re talking about here. Even if their rarities don’t measure up to you two lunatics, they will have skills that might reveal you, and oh yes, daughter of mine, I am lumping you in with Nate on this one. What you did was reckless and dangerous and now that you’ve managed to come out the other side, we need to be thinking about the future and how to prevent you two being enslaved, or worse, killed. As it stands you’re both a threat to the status quo and neither of you have the levels to back it up!”

Jorge looked ready to tear his hair out as he finished his tirade. Nate had given it a little thought and was considering making his own concealing rune to hide their Class Cores from identification Skills. He just hadn’t gotten around to it. Kiri interrupted his musing on the topic as she laid a hand on her Father’s shoulder.

“It’s okay Dad. I have a pretty good idea. We can even start working on it tonight. But maybe first we could go home?” Kiri asked calmly. The look on her face was enough to mollify Jorge who nodded slightly.

“You better come too, Nate. Wife’ll be asking me why you’re not there if we show up without you,” Jorge said, giving Nate a pointed look that told him saying no was not an option.

“I’d love to,” he replied with a grin at Kiri that she mirrored. “Can I meet you there? I need to stop by the Oaken Ring to pick up a few things. Figure I am probably staying the night and I have a couple of things I am working on.”

Jorge gave a nod and the trio, plus Frick, set out towards Helmfirth. Before they had reached the North Gate, Kiri and Jorge veered off to avoid the town, just in case anyone used Identify on Kiri while she had nothing to shield herself. Nate quickly made his way to the Oaken Ring. It was the work of a few moments, with the return of his spatial storage, to sweep up the items he wanted to take to the Beaufoy’s before he was back out the door and marching through the fields outside of Helmfirth. The midday sun above was warm but not too hot and he took a moment to marvel at the beauty of this place as he walked through the fields of swaying grass and crops, with the gentle breeze stirring them.

Almost too quickly he had arrived and was walking down the garden path to knock on the door of Kiri’s house. Rania answered, her face showing happiness and relief as she ushered him inside. The table was already set with some food spread across it and the smell of more coming from the kitchen. Rania somehow, in the short time that Kiri had been home, had begun to whip up a feast.

Words of praise and admonishment flew in equal measure as the Beaufoy’s celebrated their daughters achievement and the risks she’d taken to gain them. Nate caught a look from Rania through the kitchen door. It spoke volumes. There was thanks and acknowledgement in her eyes and he choked up a little bit at her attention. She’d clearly chosen the angle precisely so Jorge couldn’t see.

Finally they sat down to eat and Nate didn’t know if it was the company, the ambience or the celebration, but he would’ve sworn the food was as good as anything he’d ever eaten at the Oaken Ring. He tried to pace himself like Rania had asked previously, but even if he didn’t completely succeed, any failures were ignored as Kiri devoured plate after plate while mumbling about how good it was to eat something other than jerky.

With food filling their stomachs and only scraps remaining on the table, he thought it was finally time to add his own piece to the celebration. With a cough he drew everyone's attention to himself.

“So, to celebrate Kiri’s return, and at Rania’s request, I made a little something for the house,” Nate said as he stood and pulled his own chair back. Reaching into his spatial storage he pulled out the painting. It was one of his bigger canvases, standing at a little over half his own height. The painting depicted the three Beaufoy’s standing side by side out the front of their house with Rania’s garden framing them.

“Oh I love it!” Rania gushed as she stood and moved towards him to get a closer look at the artwork.

All he got from Jorge was the hint of a smile and an approving nod, followed by a wink from the older man when his daughter and wife weren’t looking. Kiri had tears in the corner of her eyes but hid it as she moved closer to him and shoulder bumped him.

“Well that settles it. Now you HAVE to give Aisling her painting,” she said with a sly grin.

That got a laugh out of her Mother and a confused look from Jorge who clearly decided he’d rather not know as he began clearing the table. Rania gave Kiri another hug before shooing the two of them off to Kiri’s room after getting assurances from the both of them that they’d be around for dinner.

Entering Kiri’s room, it looked the exact same as when they’d left it almost two weeks ago. He supposed that made sense. It hadn’t been that long, even if it had felt like an eternity. Sitting down on the edge of her bed he watched as Kiri began pacing a little. He’d noticed it helped her frame her thoughts so he waited patiently.

“Dad’s right,” she began. “We need to be able to conceal our Classes if we’re going to compete in this Tournament and attend the Royal University.”

He liked the confidence. The assumption that they’d make the top eight in the Tournament and gain entrance to the Royal University. It was easy to be confident without knowing what they were up against, he supposed.

“I could try and make us some better concealing runes,” he began to suggest.

“I like that idea,” she replied, still pacing. “But before we get into that, I got a new skill called Soul Engraving. What do you think the chances are that we could engrave a rune onto a soul?”

He looked at her like she was crazy. Crazy or a genius. Could a soul hold a rune? With Eyes of the Runic Artist active he looked at her soul. He was pretty sure they were going to find out if it was possible really soon.